The present disclosure relates to a developer supplying device, and to an image forming apparatus incorporating a developer supplying device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a developer supplying device including a storage container which stores developer supplied to a developing device and a detection sensor which detects the amount of developer in a storage container, and to an image forming apparatus incorporating such a developer supplying device.
In image forming apparatuses, a latent image formed on an image carrying member comprising a photosensitive member or the like is made visible by being developed into a toner image by a developing device. As such an image forming apparatus, there is known an image forming apparatus incorporating a toner container which is provided so as to be removable from the apparatus main body and which stores developer, and an intermediate hopper (developer supplying device) which stores the developer fed from the toner container and which supplies the developer to the developing device.
An intermediate hopper includes a storage container which stores developer, and a detection sensor which is fixed at a predetermined position in the storage container and which detects the amount of developer in the storage container. When the detection sensor detects that the amount of developer in the storage container becomes less than a predetermined amount, developer is fed from a toner container to the storage container. After feeding operation for feeding developer from the toner container to the storage container is started, if, at the lapse of a given time, the amount of developer in the storage container does not become equal to or more than a predetermined amount, a user is notified by a notifying means that the toner container is empty.
In this way, providing the intermediate hopper makes it possible to keep printing until the storage container is empty even when the toner container is empty. That is, by preparing a new toner container before the storage container is empty, it is possible to prevent printing operation from becoming impossible.